Multi-language Blog

Airport Taxis Getting Worse?

With the New Uber App for taxi service now set to start here in Phuket, will this help reduce the taxi fares, which are currently far, far more expensive than they are in Bangkok.

The arrival of the smart phone app based services comes as Phuket taxi users continue to complain that even the meter taxi fare rates on Phuket are too high! Plus the green-plate Airport taxis still appear to gain too many customers at Phuket International Airport.

It appears that by switching their favors to that of the metered taxis over fixed-fare taxis, that the Phuket authorities have simply gone from one method of overcharging customers to another.

The rates are still far too high in Phuket, especially when Tourists compare them with that of taxis in Bangkok, which are much more reasonable.

Why have Thailand's new NCPO (Army regime) allowed the switch over from a set-fare monopoly to the metered taxis without also cutting the cost?

The old fares on Phuket should have been cut in half with the switch to favoring meter taxis. Instead, the fares appear to have increased.

Maybe as most newly arriving Airport Tourists get attracted to the set fare counters inside the airport, before they even leave the building and see the meter taxis, helps to keep the current taxi fare rates inflated.

The taxi system on Phuket remains a big problem for tourists, and still needs to be addressed.

Maybe now is the time for the NCPO to introduce a regular (and reliable) public bus service in Phuket, it has after all been promised for years?